Maplewood man sentenced in 2013 murder

A Maplewood man was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting a man in St. Paul last November.

Brandon G. Christopher, 20, pleaded guilty in April in Ramsey County District Court to second-degree murder.

According to charges: Christopher shot Evan T. Brown, 28, about 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 26 after attending Brown’s party in the 800 block of E. 4th Street. Christopher allegedly flashed a handgun at the party and then left. He returned for a phone.

Christopher told police that he shot Brown because Brown startled him when he returned, the charges said. Witnesses told police that Brown had previously bragged about having about $8,000. Police found Brown dead at the scene with a loaded, unfired revolver next to him and two bags of alleged Ecstasy nearby. He was shot once in the head.

A few days later, police saw a vehicle with a broken-out passenger window and tried to stop it. The driver turned off his lights and fled. Police pursued the car for eight miles. The car stopped after officers deployed stop sticks. Christopher, sitting in the driver’s seat, opened the door and an officer saw a “large silver gun” in his right hand, the complaint said.

Officers fired at Christopher after he pointed the gun at them, the complaint said. Christopher was wounded in the incident.

Christopher also pleaded guilty to assault on the police officers, and was given three years in prison for that conviction. The sentence will run consecutive with his murder sentence.